


fervid as a flame

by ritovillage



Series: where you need to be [1]
Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Pre-Breath of the Wild, Prequel, Spoilers for both games, headcanon that astor was the royal fortune teller (hinted at), inspired by age of calamity (but not canon with it), the rest of the champions and robbie are also mentioned!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritovillage/pseuds/ritovillage
Summary: Considering that the King's beloved prophecy has moulded her life since the day he stopped being her father, it comes as no surprise to Zelda that she grows to loathe the vast majority of it.
Series: where you need to be [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048132
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	fervid as a flame

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [WITH A MOUTH FULL OF NAILS, I SING TO YOU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27957371) by [perennials](https://archiveofourown.org/users/perennials/pseuds/perennials). 



> this fanfic is the first in a seven-part series of age of calamity-inspired oneshots, about what would have happened in that game had time travel not been a feature. i've considered all canon sources while writing this, meaning all references to memories, diary entries, etc are completely true to their in-game depictions.
> 
> (i also recently wrote a song inspired by this story!! you can find it on my tumblr, @rapidashe.)
> 
> hope you enjoy!!

_**"Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three,  
will be the one."** _

_**"To be honest, I have no real reason to think** _  
_**that will be the case."** _

_**"But there’s always the chance that the** _  
_**next moment will change everything."** _

Zelda is really, _really_ tired of hearing the prophecy.

She's been hearing her parents recite it to each other in hushed tones, over and over, since before she could _walk_ \- well, before she could do anything, really. Ever since she can remember, its words have been etched into her brain, constantly weighing down her mind. **_" **Th** e signs of **a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are** **clea** **r** ,"_** her thoughts would cruelly remind her at any given opportunity, **_"and the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground."_**

It doesn't help that, as she grows up, she watches those words come true around her. At the decree of her father, the Sheikah have attempted to map out all possible excavation sites across the region. And sure, at first she hadn't thought very much of it, but then she hears the whispers of huge _things_ being unearthed, all across Hyrule.

Gargantuan contraptions, made of insane, futuristic materials that are cool to the touch in some places but rough and textured like sandstone in others. They're so large that they seem to rise out of the ground from which they come; a young, tiny six-year-old Zelda is there to witness one of the excavations, in the Gerudo region, and the fact that there exists a huge mechanical camel that was built to protect Hyrule 10,000 years ago becomes all she can think about.

Not just a camel, either - it soon emerges that there are four of these machines, which she hears her mother call the "Divine Beasts" after the scripture of the long-passed ancient Sheikah. There's an eagle, an elephant and a salamander - _they're a bit much_ , little Zelda thinks to herself as her parents show her a sketch of the last of the four, Vah Medoh, docked at the bottom of a snow-covered cavern in the Hebra Mountains, nestled beneath the snowy stalactites.

_After all, it's not like they're alive._

The Beasts aren't all that the Sheikah uncover, though. Her father tells her one night, as he's tucking her into bed, that spider-like robots have been dug up too. They're called "Guardians", built to protect all of Hyrule from evil. Zelda sleeps well that night, secure in the knowledge that the Guardians are there to keep her safe from harm. 

~~(In fact, the reverse is true. They're going to cause a whole lot of harm.)~~

Imagine, for a moment, that your mother has passed away.

You're six years old, and you've been left in the world with a father who spends his days holed up in his study - your chambermaid _insists_ he's doing his duty, doing what's best for the kingdom, but you aren't stupid and you know full well that he's in there ruminating over the other half of the prophecy. (If you're honest, you aren't exactly convinced it will come true - your mother was never the Royal Fortune Teller's biggest fan either, and it unsettles you how much your father confides in someone so...creepy.)

You're still six years old, and all anybody tells you is to "move on, Zelda" - "focus on the here and now, Zelda, and be thankful for what you still have" - "stop bringing books about ancient history to the dinner table, Zelda, because you _will_ spill fondue on the pages and they can't be replaced" - and you wish somebody, _anybody_ , would open their eyes and see what all of this is doing to you.

You're only _six_ years old, barely old enough to focus on a piece of work for fifteen minutes, and your father is much older, but _both_ of you are grieving over Mother.

Not only that, but now there isn't anyone to teach you how to unlock your sealing powers. So you have to work out on your _own_ how to master some divine gift that you have no solid proof that you even have in the first place, apropos of absolutely nothing. At the word of your father, you're escorted to one of the Royal Fountains in the hills surrounding Kakariko Village, instructed to hone your concentration and sharpen your senses, in hope that the power within you will awaken.

Except it doesn't. Three days later, you return to the castle, having passed out from the freezing cold waters, the guards surrounding you forbidden from assisting. These aren't the commands of a father, they're those of a King, too distant to see the effects his commands are having on his only remaining family and too blinded by the impending doom of a future to care. Frustrated with your lack of success, he orders you to train relentlessly to awaken your "gift" (which is starting to seem more like a curse). You begin to spend two days a week under a freezing shower, then a waterfall, then up on the peaks of Mount Hylia.

Then two becomes three, and then four - and before you know it, you're back at six, with a father who looks the other way. And honestly, it reaches a point where it isn't even worth mentioning any more.

And then Zelda's not six any more: suddenly she's sixteen, and considering that the King's beloved prophecy has moulded her life since the day he stopped being her father, it comes as no surprise to Zelda that she grows to loathe the vast majority of it. (Consistently failing at the one thing it predicts you should be capable of - for _ten years_ \- will do that.)

The Divine Beasts are a different story, of course - it transpires that they each contain what Impa, heir to the Sheikah tribe, calls a "Guidance Stone", evidently the key to gaining entry to the Beasts. Ten years go by without anybody having any idea how to access their interiors: but then, all of a sudden, Impa hurriedly calls Zelda to the Royal Ancient Lab, overlooking the castle from the north-west. She feeds her father some excuse about training in the biting Tabantha winds (it's the first time she's ever had to lie to him, but she gets the feeling he wouldn't allow her any direct interaction with the Sheikah research if he knew, considering how he must be growing tired of her continued lack of success awakening her powers), quickly packs an overnight bag and leaves immediately with Impa in tow.

Purah and Robbie, fellow members of the Sheikah clan, excitedly wave her over to a workbench when they arrive. "Check this out, Your Highness!" Purah proclaims, thrusting some kind of rubbing from a stone inscription into her face. "We think we have an idea of how to activate the Divine Beasts!"

Zelda takes the sheets of paper from her, and studies them with squinted eyes. Her knowledge of Ancient Sheikah is more or less nonexistent; Impa must realise this, because she interjects dryly, "Purah, I'm not too sure the Princess is fluent in the _ancient tongues_. Maybe you should explain the writings we found yourself."

Purah nods, slightly abashed but still wholeheartedly enthusiastic. "Right! Well, we've been trying to translate the text found on the boarding platform of Vah Ruta. But we didn't have any idea how to do it, because when we translated it into Hylian, the result didn't make any sense!"

"But then we thought, what if we translated it into _modern Sheikah_ first?" Robbie chimes in, strolling over from his bench covered with Guardian parts and pulling his goggles up from over his eyes. "It turns out that the script doesn't have a one-to-one translation in Hylian....but it _does_ in Sheikah."

Reaching out to take the sheets from Zelda, Purah selects one in particular and circles part of the inscription with pencil. "Aaaaaaand, according to Vah Ruta, there should be some kind of device that will wake the Divine Beasts from their dormant state!"

Zelda beams. "That's great, Purah! But, what is this device, and where is it?"

"Well, we're not too sure," Impa interjects, walking over to the trio from where she'd been stood off to the side of the room. "But we know that it must have been created before the Divine Beasts, which means it could very well be located at the birthplace of Hyrule, the Great Plateau. The Sheikah always were fans of tradition."

"We're going to go pay a little visit tomorrow! Try and see if we can excavate it." Purah turns to Zelda, wide-eyed. "Do you want to come with us, Your Highness?"

As it turns out, the device isn't that hard to find after all. Purah and Robbie manage to narrow down the search region with relatively little trouble - Bokoblin camps aside, and Robbie _insists_ he spotted a Lynel on the other side of the Temple of Time - and Zelda leaves the search with a small, rectangular device capable of summoning _moving pictures_ behind a sheet of glass. (Purah decided to call it the "Sheikah Slate"; Zelda hadn't feel it was a battle she could win.)

"It really is a shame that we have to be so distanced, Your Highness," Impa voices as the pair pass through the Castle Town gates, the Sheikah tasked with escorting her new friend to the King unscathed. "You were a huge help in finding the Slate's location. It makes you think what else you could help us with."

Zelda scoffs. "Oh, please. If anything, you've been a great help to me! Now we might actually have a way of making some progress" - the shine in her eyes dims all of a sudden, and her feet start to lag a little - "and I'm sure my Father will be pleased - for once - with the good news."

At this, Impa's face falls sympathetically. "Oh, Princess, I'm sorry. Who knows, maybe he'll be just as excited about this as you are."

"I certainly hope so," the Princess replies distainfully, exhaling forcefully with disbelief in her eyes. "Although as of late, he's been much more concerned about finding a new Royal Advisor than about me." After a moment, her eyes light up once more, this time with a wicked gleam. "Say, Impa. What if you--"

Before Zelda can finish her sentence, she is caught unawares by a figure slamming into her at full force, knocking both of them clean to the ground. She curses as the Sheikah Slate falls out of her grasp, although luckily it appears unharmed by the fall.

"Princess! Are you alright?" Impa asks worriedly, leaning down to offer an arm to Zelda before turning to the figure annoyedly. "Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going next time? This is Princess Zelda you're near incapacitating! Show some more concern."

But Zelda shakes her head. "Impa, it's quite alright. I'm absolutely fine - and so is the Slate, see?" She turns to her accidental assailant - a boy with longish blond hair, who could be no older than herself - who climbs to his feet and brushes some dirt from his armour. Before she can say anything to him, he shoots Impa a glare and dashes off, without so much as directing a by-your-leave at the girl he'd practically ran over in his hurry.

"Well, at least there's _some_ good news," the Sheikah mutters, powering the Slate up and flicking through all of the empty menus. "You sure you're doing okay, Your Highness?"

Zelda's brow furrows in thought. "Physically, I'm perfectly fine. But what was the matter with him?" She stares down the street at the avenue she'd seen him run down, before something clicks in her brain. "Isn't that the way to the Knights' Academy? Do you suppose he's a member of the Guard? He looks a little too young."

"Whatever he is, he needs to work on his manners." Impa hands the Slate back to Zelda, huffs, and starts walking again.

But the Princess just stands there for a moment, turning over the Slate in her hands, her mind replaying the sharp look he'd directed at Impa. _If **he's** in the Royal Guard,_ she thinks to herself, before hurrying her pace to catch up with Impa, _then I've h_ _eard it all._

Upon delivering Zelda to Castle Town unharmed, Impa departs to return to Kakariko (albeit with new plans involving a twelve-page application form for the position of Royal Advisor, which Zelda promises to mail her as soon as she gets chance), leaving Zelda stood in the middle of her chambers, the silence deafening in comparison to the sound of Impa's warm conversation, or Purah's charming optimism, or Robbie's.....smugness.

But the silence is quickly broken by a knock at her door. "Your Highness," a handmaiden greets her. "The King has requested your presence in the throne room."

 _Oh no_ , Zelda thinks, but she thanks the servant, quickly gives her hair a brush, and walks in (yet more) silence to meet her father in the Sanctum.

As always, the room is flanked by two of his attendants, who nod at her in greeting as she kneels before the King in the circle of light cast by the large decorative window. Her father waves a hand, and they leave the room. _Oh no_ , Zelda's mind echoes.

"Zelda," he begins, voice booming around the circular walls, "I've been told by one of my confidants at the Royal Laboratory that you spent yesterday afternoon discussing the mechanics of the Divine Beasts with some of the researchers, rather than training, like you told me. I presume that's also where you were this morning?"

 _Ohhhhhhh no._ This is very bad. Zelda tries to defend herself, but words refuse to leave her mouth.

"As I expected," he exhales, frustration and disappointment written clear across his face. "Do you understand the importance of your training, Zelda? Of your responsibility to this kingdom?"

A pause, which Zelda utilises to study the tiling pattern on the floor in front of her.

"How you intend to justify this distraction, I am yet unsure. But I hope it will not happen again."

"Father, the researchers and I managed to find a way to enter the Divine Beasts," Zelda offers. The King's eyebrows raise in surprise, and she continues. "There is an artifact called the Sheikah Slate. It's currently in my study. We believe this is the key to making further progress towards defeating Ganon - once the time comes."

After a few moments of stunned silence, King Rhoam lets out a breath. "How incredible," he admits. "This advancement comes at a time of much significance, if truth be told. In which case, I do not believe there is any use in postponing your further responsibilities." He pauses again, this time to cough a deep, hoarse cough, before continuing. "I must request that you seek out four "champions", worthy of piloting the Divine Beasts in the fight against Calamity Ganon. It is vital that they are skilled in combat, brave and righteous - willing to risk their lives for the kingdom of Hyrule, should it come to that. I ask this of you, my daughter, in the hope that you will do what is right for all of our subjects."

"I understand," Zelda agrees, internally both thrilled and terrified at the prospect. Travelling around Hyrule by royal decree, visiting different communities, maybe making a few stops for research purposes....but equally, isn't this just another chance for her to let her father down by failing to fulfil what's been asked of her? Maybe it isn't such a good idea--

"Excellent." Her thoughts are interrupted by the booming voice from on high. "Before my Royal Advisor is discharged next week, I shall ask him if he's aware of any suitable candidates. I leave the rest to you, in the hope that you will not let me down."

Nodding, Zelda replies, "Of course not, father." She bows her head one final time, ready to leave, when she is cut off once more.

"But just so we are clear, I must ask that you refrain from taking involvement in any research pertaining to the Divine Beasts."

Her head shoots up, surprised by this additional caveat. "Father, the research I aided with has proven to be quite valuable--"

"And might I remind you once again, this research is in the capable hands of the Sheikah." The King looks down at her coolly, eyes hardened. "Your duty as a daughter of the Royal Family is to awaken your powers, first and foremost. Your training must take priority. In fact, I order you to increase your training regimen once more. You must train once a day, every day, until your powers have awakened."

Zelda stares at him, struggling to find any look of understanding in his eyes of what he's asking of her. Nothing. "Father, I have been instructed by the Royal Practitioner to refrain from bathing in freezing waters until--"

The King snaps, "You will do as I ask, Zelda. We may well be running out of time, and the fate of the kingdom cannot be pushed to one side. Do you not understand what you are asking of me?"

 _Do you not understand your **own** demands?_, Zelda internalises - but she says nothing, merely bowing her head until she is dismissed from the throne room.

And as she leaves, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule watches his daughter turn her back on him for the final time.

Zelda's whole world changes rather quickly over the next week.

Given a list of four names and their home provinces, a band of knights and handmaidens, three horses and the Sheikah Slate (she thinks the whole thing is overkill, really, but she didn't have a way of denying the King this illusion of grandeur), she sets out for the Gerudo region first of all. The Royal Family is well-acquainted with the Gerudo Chief, Urbosa - and the King is dead set on recruiting her to their ranks.

Fortunately for Zelda, Chief Urbosa accepts the invitation gladly - and when the pair are attacked that night by members of the so-called "Yiga clan", Urbosa is there to explain everything.

"Sheikah defectors," she replies in response to Zelda's persistent questioning. They sit within the safe vicinity of the palace, the elder sipping a Noble Pursuit as she lounges on a recliner. "Rumour says they hold a grudge against the Royal Family, for making them abandon their technological advances 10,000 years ago, in favour of putting Hyrule at ease. They've been causing a lot of trouble around these parts recently. I will pray to the Goddess that you are kept safe, little bird."

However, upon returning to the castle, the King is informed of the Yiga attack, and calls Zelda for yet another summit.

"In light of the recent attempted assault in the Gerudo desert, I have discussed some measures to keep our Princess safe in the meantime with the Captain of the Royal Guard." He frowns at Zelda, as though it's _her_ fault she'd been attacked by Ganon's minions. "It is essential that you do not become indisposed, especially considering how you will need to travel across Hyrule to carry out your duty. We are looking into assigning you a personal knight, to ensure nobody tries to tamper with our countermeasures against the Calamity."

(Zelda notes this concern is not directed at her own wellbeing, and her face hardens. He didn't _need_ to treat her like a shipment of precious stones.)

Her next stop is Death Mountain and Goron City, which she travels to on horseback with a reduced group of knights. The Goron Daruk seems well-suited for the Champion position, and she managed to quash the urge to cringe when he says he'll "gladly" lay down his life. (She prays it won't come to that, but as usual, she fails to reply.)

(She also laments to him about the King's plans to appoint her a knight - as bleak as the prospect seems, she can at least cling onto the hope that it won't be for a little while.)

Upon her second return to the castle, King Rhoam asks to speak with her in his study. "I ought to apologise to you, Zelda."

_Is he actually....?_

"I neglected to tell you that the fifth Champion has already been identified, as the wielder of the Master Sword. In fact, we've known his identity for a good few years."

 _Oh. Right._ Well, she appreciates being kept in the loop, anyhow.

(This is sarcasm. She was very much _not_ kept in the loop, and she does _not_ appreciate this additional piece of news being dropped on her without any warning.)

Zelda furrows her brow. "I was unaware of a fifth champion in the legend," she retorts, bouncing her heels as she stands in the doorway.

"Surely you recall the knight who seals the darkness?" the King questions, an eyebrow raised at Zelda. "The one who must keep Calamity Ganon at bay until you use your sealing powers? Speaking of which..."

"Yes yes, of course, my mistake," she hurriedly interjects, trying desperately to distract him from the fact that, no, she'd made no further breakthroughs. "How did you locate him?"

King Rhoam seemingly didn't notice the change of topic (which Zelda thanks the Goddess for - not that she receives any response). "He's the son of the Captain of the Guard," he informs her. "I was notified by him as soon as the event occurred, four or five years ago. However, I did not wish to mention it at the time, as I did not feel you were ready. It must have slipped my mind since."

At this, Zelda frowned. "So this other Champion, he's completely prepared for the reawakening of Ganon, then? Is he also skilled in combat?"

"Well, of course," the King retorts. "Astoundingly so, I'd say, considering his young age. He's around your age."

....Alarm bells are ringing.

"If you like, I could arrange for him to visit the remaining Champions with you. He's enrolled in the Knights' Academy, but I'm sure a few days of absence could be excused."

Zelda can't shake her head forcefully enough. "No! I mean... I'm sure I'll be adequately prepared to convince them on my own.”

After a moment, King Rhoam nods his head in agreement. “Very well. I wish you well for tomorrow’s journey.”

With a polite word of farewell, she goes to exit the study - but she pauses for a moment, turning back to the King. "Er...

"Your Highness, if I may ask... What is his name?"

For the rest of the week, Zelda finds herself in a bad mood that very little seems to shake. She manages to rid herself of it for much of the journey to Rito Village, and thankfully Revali accepts her proposal (in a very smug way that makes her think of Robbie) without too much fuss.

(That is, until he reminds her of the blond knight's involvement in the whole affair. The scowl that adorns her face during her return trip home does not fade until the next morning.)

Even then, by the time she treks to Zora's Domain, her mood by and large hasn't lifted. King Dorephan thankfully has no issues with her proposal, and she goes to meet Mipha atop Veiled Falls. Mipha seems quite quiet - perhaps a little inexperienced in combat, but Zelda has had no issues with the other three Champions and trusts that Mipha too will find her place in the group.

"So, Princess," Mipha asks eventually, the pair of them looking down the Falls and watching her little brother, Sidon, happily playing in the waters below, "may I ask who the other chosen Champions are?"

Internally, Zelda groans. "Goron vigilance, Daruk. Rito confidence, Revali. Gerudo spirit, Urbosa. And also..."

(She pauses, almost steeling herself for the next words to come out of her mouth, almost as if admitting it to Mipha would make their sixth member real.)

"...the Hylian with the sword that seals the darkness," she finishes lamely, pointedly looking down at the ground. "Link."

If you were to ask Princess Zelda how she feels about Link, the Hylian Champion, possessor of the sword that seals the darkness....she isn't entirely sure she could tell you.

Feelings are complicated, and they don't get any more so than about the guy who's meant to be the other half of your ancient evil-suppressing, crime-fighting duo, despite the fact that your first thought when you saw him was about how incompetent he must he as a knight, and now he's the one you're supposed to rely on but you're fairly sure that he hates you.

Well, he must. There isn't a shred of doubt in Zelda's mind - after all, he's never said a word to her. Not once.

(It almost hurts, in a way - after all, they were both tied into their responsibilities by some ancient legend, a song eagerly regaled unto her countless times by the court poet. She'd really hoped that might be common ground enough for the two to bond. She supposes not.)

Not only that, but it's difficult for her not to assume the worst - having read the legend a few more times since, it has become clear to her that while the Princess' responsibility is to awaken her sealing power, the _knight_ merely has to retrieve his sword to fulfil his, which Link was undoubtedly able to do ease. He had been able to fulfil his part of the bargain, while Zelda is still lagging behind.

In which case, it isn't any wonder he doesn't bother speaking to her: he must surely think so little of her, compared to his own achievements in swordsmanship. In her mind, he's gone from possessing little talent to having so much - staggeringly so - that she has very little choice but to look incompetent in comparison.

But it isn't as though she isn't trying. If you _had_ asked Zelda this, she would reaffirm to you that she has been maintaining her training schedule, even out in the far reaches of Hyrule. She would tell you how she's been praying multiple times a day, come rain or shine or wind or snow; she has been doing all she can to carry out her part of the legend, but so far it's all been for nothing.

And Link can think whatever he likes about her efforts, but they will _not_ be in vain. She isn't as useless as ~~her brain is telling her~~ he undoubtedly thinks.

So all things considered, Zelda would probably tell you that, to be frank, she isn't _his_ biggest fan, either.

In fact, she hates Link right back. Pure, unadulterated loathing. So, in a sense, he fit right in with the rest of the prophecy.

The day of the Champion ceremony flies by. Zelda had been awake all through the previous night, crafting garments for each of the Champions at request of the King. ("The Royal Family has always placed a special emphasis on our unique shade of blue," he'd told her, as a handmaiden had brought stacks of the fabric into Zelda's study and sat them down next to her desk. "It will be a gesture of good will towards the other races, and a symbol of gratitude for their service in assisting the defence of our Hyrule.")

(Once again, he hadn't thought to make such a gesture towards her, as he'd left it entirely to her to design and fashion the garments herself in a night. Typical.)

Upon reflection, she has mixed feelings towards the particular blue she'd been staring at all night. As much as it brings her fond memories of her mother wearing the colour, it isn't as though she has many other positive thoughts regarding the Royal Family - _her_ family, for better or worse. The shade feels more like a reminder of the task she's sworn to do, and her heretofore inadequate performance; if anything, it feels like a force tying her down to the responsibilities she wishes she could escape from.

But the Champions don't echo these sentiments - they all seem taken with their new clothing, and she even catches _Revali_ admiring his scarf in the mirror. (Although he may have just been admiring himself.) It feels strange to her, to see others looking at the world she finds so stifling with different eyes; she can understand Mipha being used to palace life, but she has to restrain Daruk from freely exploring the corridors, and Revali goes missing for an hour or sountil she spots him perched atop one of the gatehouse turrets, staring back towards the rock formation around which Rito Village is built.

(She supposes it must be hard for them all to be away from home, no matter how sure they are that they can carry out the tasks ahead of them.)

(Not Link, though. He must be used to it. After all, as the King reminds her as they bid the Champions farewell that following morning, "a Hero's work is never done.")

( _But then_ , she thinks glumly, _neither is mine_.)

A few days later, Impa is officially designated as the new Royal Advisor, and Zelda is over the moon. Even though the Champions are starting to spend more time around the palace, leading the Princess to become fairly well-acquainted with each of them, it does her a great deal of good to have a confidant. (Even if she spends most of their time together filling Impa in on the most recent ways Link has been exhibiting his sense of superiority.)

Well, this isn't entirely true; she also spends some of her time lamenting the King's behaviour. "He's reached a point now where he almost entirely refuses to listen to me," she huffs one quiet evening, as the pair sit cross-legged on the floor in Zelda's bedroom. "Like all I am is my title. Some kind of silent princess."

At this, Impa snorts a laugh.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Sorry, Your Highness," the Sheikah grins, "but the 'silent princess' is a type of flower that grows around Kakariko Village. They're good luck - or so my mother says, anyway. She used to add them to my food in the hopes I'd become more stealthy. You know, more like a _real_ Sheikah."

Zelda tilts her head in confusion. "And that was funny?"

"...You wound me, Princess." Impa deadpans, before scrunching up her face in thought. "Well, what I mean is, the silent princess doesn't tend to grow that well in captivity. It can only flourish in the wild. It reminds me of you a little, that's all."

(Zelda has to admit, even she can see the irony in that; she makes a mental note to keep a lookout for a blue-and-white flower on her travels.)

A week passes, and somehow she finds herself stood beside Robbie in the castle grounds as he tinkers with a prototype Guardian, the King watching on in interest. (She never thought he'd let her go anywhere near this technology again, considering his response last time.)

"I've been working on it for a little while," Robbie mutters as he tightens a few screws, more to himself than to any of his onlookers. "Its movements are still a bit janky, and it's only quarter-scale, but aside from that we're pretty much there."

"This is incredible, Robbie!" Zelda gushes, kneeling down to get onto eye-level with that of the Guardian and starting a sketch of the head component. "I can't believe you managed to get one working."

"Well, it's all thanks to the Sheikah Slate, really. Activating the Divine Beasts got me thinking, we should have been--"

But all of a sudden, the Guardian starts whizzing and whirring, and a microfine red beam shoots out of its head and points directly at Zelda.

"What's it doing?" King Rhoam questions above the machine's sudden beeping, taken aback by the impromptu change in behaviour.

Robbie frowns, glancing down at the notepad in his hand and scanning each line with the pencil in his other. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen anything about this mentioned in our writings."

Zelda opens her mouth to comment - maybe to suggest the Guardian is just identifying her, or maybe a panel had simply come loose - but anything she might have been formulating dies in an instant as she sees a white-hot beam of energy burst out of the Guardian, aimed directly at her.

Link deflects the beam. Somehow.

Zelda had had no idea he was even _there_ , but he sends it shooting straight up into the sky. She sees him out of the corner of her eye, watching as he grabs a pot lid that's balanced against a wall and holds it up to the beam at _just_ the right angle.

The impromptu audience goes silent for a moment, in shock. Link looks back at Zelda, and just _stares_ at her.

(That's all he does. He just stares at her. She stares right back, eyes hard and inquisitive.)

(She has the unsettling feeling that the King has found her personal knight.)

(She was right.)

That night, Zelda is paid a visit by the knight in question.

She hears a knock at the door to her study, while she's up making adjustments to her sketch of the prototype Guardian. Her eyes narrow when she swings open the door to see him.

"Link," she greets curtly, enunciating the word like there's a distinctly bitter taste in her mouth. "If you're here to request a display of gratitude for your actions earlier today, I suppose I must thank you. Although I would advise that you don't make too much of a fuss about it, as I certainly won't be."

More stares. He just _looks_ at her, with that piercing gaze of his that makes her innermost thoughts and fears feel exposed.

Zelda continues, undeterred. "Well, if indeed you _are_ going to be my appointed knight, then I suppose I'll have to accept the way things are. But I will _not_ be happy about them," she adds, a deep scowl adorning her face. "I will request that you give me my privacy when it is required, and I _expect_ you not to argue."

Nothing. She begins to wonder if maybe he's deaf, but then he gives the tiniest of nods, and she lets out a little sigh of relief. "Good. Anyway, if that was the only reason you stopped by, you needn't linger." She turns away from him, one hand on the door, ready to slam it in his face.

"After all, I'm _told_ a Hero's work is never done." _A real power move._

(She thinks about her behaviour later that night, after her observation notes have been completed. To be honest, she finds it hard to fault her own behaviour at all.)

(Although she does have to suppress a nagging feeling of guilt that _maybe_ he stopped by for some other reason.)

Daruk suggests they have a ceremony to mark the appointment. It isn't a suggestion she welcomes, but they end up going through with it. She recites some old blessing about his sword that she'd read in an old book of stories as a child, and barely manages to make it through without tripping over her words, her mind still addled from the freezing waterfall-induced fever she's recovering from.

Link doesn't look up at her through the whole thing, pointedly staring down as if pretending she wasn't even there - even when she's finished speaking. He just stands up, turns around without making eye contact at all and goes to stand with the other Champions, who are all talking amongst themselves (were they even paying attention?). Urbosa notices, as always, but Zelda doesn't give herself the chance to be consoled, bidding goodbye to the five and immediately returning to her quarters in the castle, just about escaping her new, sword-wielding tail.

She's aware she might seem quite distant to the group of them, but her intention is not to be cold. The Champions know how much she values their contributions to their effort against Ganon, it's just that she would really rather like to minimise time spent with Link as much as possible.

When the Champions start trying to gain control over the Divine Beasts, it becomes apparent that some have more of a knack for it than the others. Daruk in particular seems to be particularly struggling with Vah Rudania - and when she brings it up to Impa that night, having paid her a visit in Kakariko, the Sheikah suggests she should make some adjustments to the main control unit. "You know enough about how this technology works by now to give it a go," she insists, a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

("Maybe we just won't tell the King that you're tampering with our only method of sealing away Calamity Ganon," she adds teasingly, and Zelda hits her in jest.)

She heads out to visit Goron City the next morning, accompanied by Link. In truth, even though she'd prefer the company of _literally_ anybody else, and even though she still isn't used to the feeling of his eyes constantly being glued to her, Zelda is a little glad for the presence of a skilled fighter - the last time she'd visited Daruk, there had been more monsters on the path up Death Mountain than usual, and the reinforcements were a handy thing, especially considering her usual strategy of _walking very quickly right past them_.

But Link refuses to look away from her, no matter what; she even takes a detour specifically to see if he'd notice, but he doesn't say anything, eyes continually fixed on her back. It's beginning to drive her insane, and she's known an outburst is coming for a while. If he's entitled to glare at her for three hours, she is just as allowed to cut him down a little.

They reach Lake Kolomo, by which point she's had enough - but instead of a snide remark, what comes out is soft and uncertain, almost fearful for his answer. "Tell me," she begins suddenly, amidst narrating her thoughts about Vah Rudania to nobody in particular. "How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back?"

Nothing. Not a single word. The knowledge that she's been right this whole time hits her like a minecart on rails - he really _has_ been judging her, hasn't he? He must think she's so pathetic, him being virtually a master at swordsmanship and her barely capable of doing the _one thing_ she's been tasked with. It's ridiculous - he's a _knight_ , his whole job is to be good at using a sword. At no point in being a princess do they sit you down and teach you how to use mystical powers from the Sacred Realm. (Or maybe they do, and she just missed that class because her mother was dying.)

Either way, in this moment, Zelda knows that Link is never going to leave her alone again.

...Okay, she didn't _really_ think that would be the case.

It had merely been a dramatic comment, nothing more; to be honest, she'd just been trying to make herself feel better about the whole thing, lamenting the fact that he seemed to be constantly at her side but secretly knowing he wouldn't _possibly_ be able to follow her wherever she went.

Except she's only been at the Ancient Columns for little more than five minutes when she hears his horse following the path up the Rayne Highlands. Impa had alerted her to the recent emergence of structures similar to it in various places across Hyrule, almost as if they'd been waiting for the right moment to rise up out of the ground.

Unlike the Divine Beasts, however, she finds herself unable to gain access to the interior, even with the Sheikah Slate as Purah had apparently suggested. In fact, the shrine remains unresponsive throughout all of her efforts. She tries everything she can think of, but nothing happens - it's very possible that Impa's parting comments had been correct, and the "shrines" were built to be accessed exclusively by the one chosen by the Sword.

She's already in a bad mood, research going nowhere, and then _he_ shows up. Always following her, never more than four feet behind - and the one time she requests some privacy for an afternoon, asks to be unaccompanied for _once_ , he can't listen.

And she snaps.

"I thought I made it clear that I am _not_ in need of an escort."

Silence. It's growing more and more aggravating each time. "It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own," she grimaces. "I, the person in _question_ , am fine - regardless of the King's orders."

What use is there in her staying? Her best bet is to try and find a new source of study, somewhere closer to the castle where he doesn't feel as though he _needs_ to follow her around. If only there could be a shrine in the castle somewhere...

"Return to the castle," she orders sharply, "and tell that to my father, please." And with that, she walks off, down the hill.

(She hears a pause, before his footsteps start again - more fast-paced than usual, as though he's running after her. Before she can even register her own actions, she whirls around and spits out, "And stop following me!". He blinks at her, his emotionless expression for once broken, and she can see the look of confusion flit across his features.)

(And sure enough, the footsteps don't come until she's at the base of the hill, and for once Link is far behind her.)

"It _should_ be somewhere around here," Purah proclaims with interest, running her hand along the rocky face of the Great Plateau cliffside.

Zelda sighs, looking out across the woods below them; the Sheikah had accosted her as she set out to visit Urbosa that morning, encouraging her to take a detour and arrange to arrive in Gerudo Town that evening instead. (Link hadn't said a word that morning, as usual, instead opting to watch her leave with Purah with a look in his eyes she found hard to read. It's clear to her that the way she'd yelled at him a week or so ago had been completely inappropriate, but she's still having difficulty convincing herself to apologise to him. After all, anything she might have done to upset him, he's done it back to her, except dozens of times worse.)

She tunes back in to Purah's assorted murmurings, which continue on for a little while until the white noise of "hmm"s, "er"s and cursing is broken by a victorious "Ah ha! Check it, Your Highness!". Zelda turns around to see Purah disappearing into some sort of cave, which had _not_ been there before. She takes a look inside, takes a moment to breathe, and walks in after her fieldwork partner.

The cave is dark, and Zelda is thankful for the blue light of the Sheikah Slate on Purah's hip, bathing each room in a faint melancholic glow. The Sheikah holds the Slate against what looks like a Guidance Stone at the end of the room, and a door opens.

"This," Purah narrates, as Zelda joins her in the far room, "is the Shrine of Resurrection. Pretty nifty, huh? We found some writings about it in some texts my grandmother was keeping."

Zelda lets out a low hum of wonder, staring up at the glowing, pulsating contraption suspended from the ceiling in front of them. "What is its purpose?" she questions, thankful that whatever the machine is, it's bright enough for her to take notes.

" _Weeeeeeeell_ , we aren't really sure," Purah admits, using the Camera function on the Slate to take a few photos of the room. "The texts said it had the power to _restore life_ , whatever _that_ means. A lot of these old inscriptions use a lot of figurative language, so we can't really be sure without trying it out."

"If that really is what it does, I hope we won't need to." Zelda closes her eyes, recoiling at the thought. "Although, if my powers don't awaken... there may well be a lot of lives that need to be restored."

"Aw, Princess, don't think about it like that!" Purah reassures her, bouncing over to her companion. "You have time - I'm sure the King believes in you, and the other Champions, and Impa and Robbie, and so do I! There's no way things can go wrong. You'll see."

But Zelda just grimaces. "Purah, my training still hasn't achieved any results. I've been following the King's orders to the letter, and still nothing. I don't feel as though prayer is going to answer my problems any more - the Goddess clearly isn't listening."

With that, she walks right out of the Shrine, Purah chasing after her. "If it helps, I know a thing or two about not being listened to," the Sheikah offers. "I grew up with _Impa_ as a younger sister."

Zelda pauses, turning to her incredulously. "Impa's your younger sister? Really? But you're so..."

"Different? Don't remind me," Purah teases. "She was always the more down-to-earth one, and I got so into my research that I'd lose sight of things. And _then_ our mother decided to make _her_ the next in line to be Sheikah Elder - even though _I_ was the older sibling!"

Something about this sounds familiar to Zelda. "So, even though you were doing your hardest, you were still seen as unworthy?"

"Geez, if you wanna put it like that, I guess so." Purah sighs, beginning to walk back down the hill and signalling to Zelda to do the same. "It was pretty frustrating. Like no matter what I did, I couldn't prove to her that I was capable."

"Then, what did you do?"

The Sheikah snorts. "Well, in the end, I guess I kind of saw the light. It wasn't that _I_ wasn't good enough to do the job, it was that _Impa_ was just as good but in a whole other way. It was never that our mother didn't believe in me, just that she wanted to be fair. She thought if she pushed me, then I might turn out to be what she wanted."

Purah reaches out and grabs Zelda's hand, squeezing it tight in reassurance. "But the good thing is, even if it doesn't look like you have a choice? You can always make the best of a bad situation. So, there always is one."

(And later, as Zelda bids goodbye to Purah and begins the walk to meet Urbosa, this time unaccompanied, she starts to wonder if she should have been seeing things differently this whole time.)

"It's been far too long since I've seen that face, little bird," Urbosa greets her at the lookout post south of town. Twilight has fallen, painting the desert sands in an orange-pink hue - a real contrast to the greens and greys that Zelda's spent the day staring at on the Plateau.

"It's so good to see you again, Urbosa," she grins. "I was hoping maybe we could take a look at your aptitude with Vah Naboris. Have you had any difficulties while piloting?"

Urbosa laughs. "Oh, not at all. It has become a firm friend, you might say. I'd be more than happy to take you on board, if you'd wish to join us?"

The night is drawing cold, and the Princess is glad for the mechanical warmth inside Naboris. "It's taken a lot of work," Urbosa admits, patting the walls of the Beast a few times, almost like you would a pet, "but now we're both finally in sync. I have to say, it's all down to you, Princess."

"It's been nothing, really," Zelda deflects with a smile, looking around the large interior room with interest. "I'm just glad I could be of some help."

"Well, you certainly were." Urbosa leads the two of them to a circular, sheltered area with a view of the Gerudo Highlands, where a blanket and a few cushions have been laid carefully on the floor. "Sit, and tell me how things are going with that knight of yours."

Zelda sighs - of _course_ the visit was a ruse to get her to open up to Urbosa. Giving in, she drops to the ground,positioning herself comfortably. "Things aren't going very well, really. I told him not to come with me today - Purah invited me on a survey, and I didn't want him getting in the way."

"Another survey?" Urbosa frowns. "Overworking yourself will only lead to exhaustion, you know."

"I know my own limits, and I am _not_ overworking myself," Zelda insists. "Besides, we were talking about Link." (She notes how unusual the circumstances, that she's _choosing_ to talk about him over anything else.)

Urbosa relinquishes. "Very well, then. How have the two of you been getting on?"

"He still refuses to speak to me." The question has been sidestepped. "Not a single word, Urbosa - and it's really starting to frustrate me. Not only that, but he follows me wherever I go. At least...he was doing, until I called him out for it last week. I haven't seen him all that much since."

The Princess looks out across the desert sands, watching them fade from orange-pink to a light brown with the setting sun. "It's just... I see him, and all I can think about is that sword, and the Divine Beasts, and how all of you have accomplished your goals. You've done all you need to, but I still can't awaken this power. So much for destiny." She forces out a laugh that doesn't sound sincere at all.

"You need not worry," Urbosa speaks up, gently. "You've put in more than enough time, dedicated all that you have to training. Look how hard you've worked to come this far. I know with full confidence that you are where you need to be."

(Zelda isn't so sure, but she doesn't want to argue with Urbosa. Not when the Gerudo has her best interests at heart.)

"Although I _do_ think you're not seeing the full picture when it comes to your little knight," she continues.

Zelda groans. "Urbosa, I already feel bad about the way I've been treating him. You needn't rub it in my face."

But Urbosa smirks. "Oh, little bird, you know I would never do anything like that. But from what I've heard, it would appear he's a lot more... _human_ , than you might think."

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Well, you seem to be under the impression that he's just naturally talented?" the Gerudo asks, to no reply from the Princess. "It's true, his father is the captain of your Royal Guard, but I'm told he's merely a small-town boy. Apparently, his appointment as your personal knight caused quite the stir in local gossip - and a fair amount of outrage, too. People saying he wasn't good enough to serve the Royal Family on such a devoted level, whatever that means."

Wait. What?

"But that can't be right," Zelda slowly postulates. "Urbosa, you've seen him. He acts like he's superior to me - he doesn't give me the time of day--"

"My guess would be that he just feels awkward around you," Urbosa proffers. "A small-town boy like that, first of all joining the Royal Guard, and then working so closely with a Princess of Hyrule? If that were me, I wouldn't know _where_ to look." She sighs, extending her hands out behind her and leaning back onto them. "Not to mention he apparently doesn't speak too much anyway. Not that I know very much about why."

"Don't get me wrong, I don't think you're to blame at all. Anyone in your situation would have done just the same. It's why you focus so intensely on your research, is it not? A drive to accomplish something, _anything_ , when you feel as though everybody looks down on you... It makes a lot of sense. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

Silence reigns for the next however long, and all Zelda can think about is the bombshell that's been dropped on her. She'd just assumed Link was some high-and-mighty knight like the rest, who didn't think she was _worth_ speaking to. And now she knows the truth - that he was never like that, and that she's been making his life miserable for the past few months - she feels even more terrible than before.

(She eventually falls asleep by Urbosa's side, the winds soothing her as well as any lullaby.)

(And when she is awoken by an almighty crash, late into the night, the sight of Link there to ensure she made it to Urbosa safely makes the guilt in the pit of her stomach worsen, like Ganon himself has crawled into it.)

Link saves her from the Yiga the next day.

They intend to travel back through Gerudo Canyon Pass, and Zelda requests they make a pitstop at Kara Kara Bazaar to stock up on a few essentials. Link steps into the inn to purchase some more arrows, and so she waits for him on the outskirts of the Bazaar, staring out into the sandstorm - when all of a sudden, she is approached by a group of three travellers.

"Excuse me, miss," one of the women questions eagerly, "do you happen to have any Mighty Bananas?"

Zelda blinks. "Oh, er. Yes, I think so." She pulls her rucksack from her back and moves to unzip it - but before she can, one of the group - a man with dark hair - pipes up.

"Are you Princess Zelda?"

Zelda freezes. The voice is familiar to her in a way that makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She slowly looks up from the bag to be confronted with three figures in red outfits, wearing white masks, and carrying weapons that were all pointed straight at her.

The Yiga clan.

Zelda drops the bag and makes a run for it.

Unfortunately for her, the Yiga are too fast. _Two_ of them manage to overtake her, and they stand in her way, practically leering at her menacingly through their masks. She tries to run back the way she came, but now the other is blocking her route that way, too.

She collapses into the sand; she's cornered on all sides. One of the Yiga - she now recalls his voice as one of those who had tried to attack her and Urbosa a few months ago - raises his sickle, and brings it down on her. _Here comes the pain._

But the pain never comes - instead, all Zelda hears is the sound of scraping metal, and then the thud of a body hitting the ground.

She looks up.

Link is stood over her, wielding the Master Sword, glaring protectively at the other two Yiga with a fearsome expression. And slowly, they retreat.

Zelda can't help but stare at Link in wonderment; he saved her life. And _yes_ , it's kind of his _job_ to do that, but something still hits her with surprise. After her talk with Urbosa, she knew she'd have to apologise to Link for everything, but she'd had no idea how - or if he would even accept. But despite all the terrible ways that she's treated him, he refused to stop protecting her.

He catches his breath, gives Zelda a hesitant smile, and helps her to her feet.

And as they begin the walk back to Hyrule Castle, Zelda knows that she has to make amends.

Imagine, for a moment, that you make a friend.

He's the second friend you've made - not just in the past few months, but _ever_. And your brief experience with your first isn't quite enough to prepare you for the experience. He's shy, and quiet, and he has a habit of zoning out and staring at things out of nowhere sometimes. Totally different to the kind of person you'd have expected to get along with.

It's taken time - months of it, in fact. The way you feel about him has completely changed over the past week or so, and you cringe when you think about the way you used to view him.

(You've told him as much, but he brushes off your apologies - it turns out he'd had similar misconceptions about you, although you certainly weren't helping to debunk those misconceptions with the way you've been behaving.)

You ask him _why_ he's so quiet, and it takes him a little while, but then he opens his mouth, and you get to hear him speak for the first time ever. And you feel so warm in the knowledge that you've overcome this hurdle, and that he trusts you enough to finally open up to you.

Imagine that you learn all about him - where he's from, what his family are like, how he feels about Castle Town, the other Champions, the King... And it's so refreshing to hear these thoughts and feelings after guessing for so long.

In a way, you're both opening up to each other. And you aren't quite there yet - there's so much that you still can't quite admit, even to yourself, and it's going to keep taking time. But ~~as far as you know,~~ you have all the time in the world.

A few days after the two have their heart-to-heart, Zelda invites Link to join her for a research excursion in Hyrule Field, before her excursion with Impa to the Spring of Courage that evening.

("Not regarding the Sheikah Technology!" she insists, at his raised eyebrow. "Just to see which species of flora and fauna I can identify. You know, just for fun." If she's honest, studying and modifying the Divine Beasts has started to feel like work, and she welcomes the distraction.)

They ride on horseback for a while in comfortable silence, passing the Sacred Grounds on their way as Zelda listens to Link tell her about which knights have a habit of behaving maliciously towards the younger, meeker recruits. (She plans to make a few changes to the rota for toilet duty when she gets back to her quarters.) This was a new start for both of them - a breath of fresh air - and Zelda wants to ensure she makes the most of it.

Eventually, they pass by a hill that Zelda requests they stop at. Link ties their horses to a tree trunk as Zelda takes a few pictures of various flowers with the Slate. Out in the wild, she finds it so easy to forget about the worries back in the castle. About the King, her training, the sealing power she has yet to awaken... Being in the wild allows her to live in the moment, to flourish, and she wonders if Link feels the same way.

And then, as he joins her, she spots something of note, right in the centre of the flower patch. A single blue-and-white flower.

"This one here is called the silent princess," she comments, allowing Link to take a closer look at the blooming flower before her.

It's sort of poetic, really. She still loathes the prophecy, and the things she cannot escape - but for the moment, she doesn't think about those things. She has Link, and Impa, and Purah and Robbie, and the Champions, and for the first time since her mother died, she doesn't feel alone.

Princess Zelda is silent no longer.


End file.
